One important part of Christmas, apart from the food and the decoration, are Christmas greeting cards. Sending out greeting cards is something that almost everyone has done at some point in their lives. It’s not just in the United States, but almost every country in the world sends out greeting cards. It has become a tradition. However, in spite of its widespread practice, not that many people know about the origin of Christmas greeting cards and how it came to be as important as it is now. Let’s take a quick step back through time and see just how this whole practice began.

When it came to sending out greeting cards, who would have done it better than the Englishman? London is the primary origin of this tradition. Back then, it was a common practice for English folks to send out Christmas greeting cards to friends and family. These were all handwritten or bore some personal greeting from the sender. However, one busy Englishman, by the name of Sir Henry Cole, commissioned the artist, John Callcott Horsley to create and paint greeting cards for him because he simply did not have enough time. He wanted to just be able to add his signature and send out the cards. This went well until after Horsley decided to paint a picture of children enjoying the holiday spirit drinking wine. It saw a sudden end, however, in the 20th century; Kate Greenaway created the first few preprinted cards.

Pretty soon, Christmas greeting cards became a staple in the United States because of Louis Prang who was an American Lithograph printer. He created and sold these greeting cards designed and decorated with pictures that showed snowmen, flowers, birds, toys and children. As the years progressed, Christmas greeting cards became inculcated in our culture and more variations and themes are available today.

Christmas greeting cards are truly one of the most important things that we send out during the holidays. Cards generate a feeling of joy for both the receiver and the sender. The sender is happy knowing that he is extending his joy to someone special to him or her while the receiver is happy knowing that he is remembered. With the influx of technological advancements, people are not only limited to giving our paper Christmas cards, but electronic cards are becoming popular as well.

Paper Christmas cards are still used abundantly, but electronic cards are right behind its trail since it is such a convenient method. If you have computer access, an internet and an email address. Unlike paper cards where you have to wait for weeks for it to be received, you can actually get the e-card in a matter of seconds. This spreads the yuletide spirit much faster.

For people who like to maintain a sense of personal touch, paper Christmas greeting cards are still preferred. Sending out paper cards might have disadvantages like requiring time and effort as well as entailing costs, but it also has several good points. For one thing, paper cards can be kept for a lifetime unlike e-cards that can only be stored electronically. It also allows you to be creative and add your own personality to the card. Maybe you can personalize the message or add pictures to it. Sending out paper cards showcases how much the person means to you. Whatever kind of Christmas greeting cards you choose to send out, at the heart of it should be a celebration of the holiday cheer and laughter.

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